Make in India, Startup India campaigns much overplayed: Mittal

New Delhi: Terming the initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ as “much overplayed”, industrialist Rajan Bharti Mittal today said the fact on the ground remains that it is “rather difficult” to do business specially for startups and medium enterprises.

He lauded the government for being “active” in promoting entrepreneurship, but said the country must not miss the opportunity to be competitive when China was slowing down.

“Issues still remains on ease of doing business on the ground…the fact of the matter remains on the ground is that it is rather difficult specially for a startup, for a medium (enterprises),” Mittal said during a roundtable discussion with Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia here.

On her part, Teaotia admitted that “the changes are slow (and) much slower than what we would like to” on ease of doing business, but assured that the issue was getting a huge amount of attention and the changes would come through soon.

They were speaking during the AGM of industry body ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) India, an affiliate body of leading Indian business chamber FICCI.

Addressing Teaotia, Mittal said, “This new government which is in place has been, I would say, rather active in promoting entrepreneurship. So Make in India, Startup India… factors like this have been much overplayed.”

Referring to India’s rankings on ease of doing business front, Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and former President of FICCI, said that “those are very different filters”.

“… One little change can move us 12 places and we can go ga-ga about that,” he added.

“We need to really crack the whip and we have to be competitive… This is a good opportunity for India as China is slowing down and manufacturing will probably move. But if we do not really utilise this time period, I think you would miss once again and probably for the final time. So, something really needs to be done in this particular side,” Rajan said.

Responding to Mittal, the secretary said, “I can’t agree with you more and I do not think there is anybody who would disagree…. While we talked about ease of doing business, the changes are slow (and) much slower than what we would like to see.

However, this was an issue of prime focus for the government, Teaotia said, while admitting that it was always a a slow process “in our system” because it requires dismantling existing structures and replacing them with new ones.

“It has to be a better system. So, it is that process which is taking time. To say that it is not getting attention is not correct. It is getting a huge amount of attention and huge amount of focus and I am certain that you will see changes,” she added.

The government has taken several steps to improve ease of doing business in the country such as reducing the number of documents for trade related activities.

For 2016, India’s rank in ease of doing business has improved to 130th from 134th out of 189 economies.

In reply to another question, Teaotia said things related with the ease of doing business need to be speeded up and “we are doing that”.

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There has never been any doubt about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comfort on the proscenium. The stage was once again tailormade for him last Saturday (January 16) when past dusk he was ushered into an almost packed Vigyan Bhawan. In front of him was that India with whom Modi is most comfortable, personally and politically – the section which shares his impatience and is gripped a constant ennui of kuch karna hai.

Make in India, Digital India and Start-up India are notable initiatives of the Modi sarkar aimed at boosting economic growth. But what the BJP-led government has repeatedly failed to realise is that economic prosperity and religious intolerance can’t co-exist. No matter how blatantly the central government ridicules allegations of saffronisation, the fact of the matter is that it is indeed hurting India’s image globally and overshadowing the government’s efforts at spurring economic development.
Dear readers,

For rational-minded individuals, it is important to mention that Human Rights Watch is an international NGO headquartered in New York with offices spread across various continents. The online bhakt army will certainly raise concerns regarding the objectivity of the organisation. They might accuse HRW of defaming India on the basis of phoney conspiracy theories or allege that HRW is hand in glove with the Congress.

But that doesn’t change the reality which rests in the damning indictment of the Modi sarkar by HRW on account of failing to protect the rights of religious minorities. For a change, wouldn’t it be encouraging if BJP leaders and sympathisers perused the report prepared by HRW and indulged in some much-needed introspection?

The Start-Up India project has little promise for the youth living in India’s small towns.It is for young Indians of big cities who have access to niche skills and resources. So, if you don’t have a friend who knows coding, it is very unlikely you can be part of a start-up.

Like several other schemes that Modi has announced, Start Up India may, on the short-term, make the upper middle classes and the techno-savvy India, stand up, take notice and renew their faith in Modi, but it will do little for his middle-term objective of generating jobs and driving growth, which alone can deliver to him another tenure when elections are held either in 2019 or earlier.

People like you can convert any topic into a topic of intolerance and saffronisation. Please re-read this as an intelligent proposal and discussion between an Industrialist and a Commerce Secretary; without barriers.